Belarus’s dictator, Alexander Lukashenko, has long seen Belarusian volunteers fighting for Ukraine as a threat to his rule – branding them as terrorists and pursuing them wherever they go. The recent extradition of Vasil Verameichyk, a Belarusian soldier fighting for Ukraine, from Vietnam reflects the regime’s determination to hunt down and punish those who dare to defy it.
Verameichyk, who served in the Kastus Kalinouski Regiment – a Belarusian volunteer unit fighting alongside Ukrainian forces – was kidnapped in Vietnam in November 2024 and extradited to Belarus.
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The office of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the main Belarusian opposition leader, wrote, “Vasil Verameichyk’s extradition is a direct consequence of the Lukashenko regime’s repressive policies, as it continues to target opponents and extend its repression beyond Belarus’ borders.’”
He was forced to speak on state-controlled television in a propaganda piece titled “Confessions of a Militant.” During the so-called interview, Verameichyk was coerced into confessing to fabricated plans for a Belarusian incursion, alleging that the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) was actively involved in a covert plot to invade Belarus with assistance from the West.
Meanwhile, state media sought to portray Ukraine’s military as corrupt and disorganized, with Verameichyk claiming that the leadership of the Kalinouski Regiment was extorting soldiers’ wages.
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His case is not unique – Lukashenko’s regime has made it clear that Belarusian fighters in Ukraine will be pursued, no matter where they are in the world.
In November 2022, Belarusian Minister of Internal Affairs Ivan Kubrakov declared in an interview with state-run STV that authorities had identified approximately 160 Belarusians participating in combat operations in Ukraine. He warned that these individuals would be prosecuted under Belarusian law, as the regime escalated its threats against Belarusians beyond its borders.
Their combat experience and connections with Western allies make them potential leaders of future uprisings against the Belarusian dictatorship.
For Minsk, these soldiers pose a dual threat.
First, they are living symbols of resistance – Belarusians who chose to fight against Russian imperialism rather than submit to Lukashenko’s rule. Second, their combat experience and connections with Western allies make them potential leaders of future uprisings against the Belarusian dictatorship. The regime fears that these battle-hardened volunteers could one day return home and play a role in overthrowing Lukashenko, much like Ukrainian fighters helped defend Ukraine in 2014 and 2022 against Russian invasions.
Pavel Slunkin, a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, warned of the risks these volunteers face. “Vasil’s case highlights the vulnerability of Belarusian volunteers. They lack sufficient social and legal protection from the Ukrainian government, and no other government can support or assist them while the Belarusian regime hunts people like Vasil worldwide,” he said. “Unfortunately, when there is no country to safeguard individuals like him, there is a serious risk that the Belarusian KGB or Russian FSB will step in – and do so in their monstrous way.”
Lukashenko’s fear of organized resistance is not without precedent. Yuliana Shemetovets, the official representative of the Belarusian Cyber Partisans (the group maintains direct contact and collaborates with the Kastus Kalinouski regiment in Ukraine), believes he is taking lessons from past uprisings and conflicts.
“He has seen examples like Prigozhin’s march and the situation in Syria,” she explained. “He understands that even a few hundred well-organized fighters, supported by the general population and professionals on the ground, could overthrow his regime.”
Shemetovets emphasized that Lukashenko’s targeting of Verameichyk serves as a warning to others considering joining Ukraine’s fight against Russia. “He wants to intimidate others who might consider fighting in Ukraine,” she said. “In Vasil’s case, Lukashenko is sending a message to former regime actors – since Vasil was previously in the Belarusian army – that ‘traitors’ will be caught.”
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Beyond discouraging defectors, Lukashenko also seeks to instill fear within Belarus’s democratic opposition. “He wants to spread paranoia among the Belarusian democratic forces, making them feel unsafe no matter where they are,” Shemetovets added.
Lukashenko’s paranoia has only deepened as he becomes increasingly dependent on Russia, allowing Belarus to serve as a launching pad for Moscow’s war on Ukraine. According to the Institute for the Study of War, Russia’s de facto annexation of Belarus is nearing its final stage, marking the culmination of a decades-long Kremlin effort to absorb its neighbor. This shift will permanently enhance Russia’s military and economic capabilities, strengthening its ability to pursue revanchist ambitions against Ukraine, NATO, and the United States.
Yet, despite this growing dependence on Moscow, Lukashenko appears to be seeking limited openings with the West. A US delegation led by Deputy Assistant Secretary Christopher W. Smith held an unannounced meeting with Belarusian officials on Feb. 12, potentially signaling an attempt to recalibrate relations, according to The New York Times. The US is reportedly negotiating a deal to ease sanctions on Belarusian banks and potash in exchange for the release of political prisoners, with at least three detainees – including one US citizen – already freed.
Lukashenko, who has faced Western sanctions since his 2020 crackdown on mass protests, assured Smith he is willing to reduce domestic repression and lessen Belarus’ reliance on Russia.
Nonetheless, Lukashenko’s crackdown on exiled Belarusian fighters reflects his desperation to eliminate any domestic threats while proving his loyalty to Putin. Lukashenko fears these soldiers because they represent the very resistance that could one day bring him down.
However, it remains unclear how much more Lukashenko can do about them. While the regime undoubtedly despises them, it currently lacks the means to take any decisive action.
Taras Kuzio, a political science professor at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, stated: “I am surprised that Belarusian volunteer battalions have not entered Belarus… I suspect this is due to a secret Lukashenko-Zelensky deal – Ukraine prevents them from crossing into Belarus in exchange for Lukashenko not allowing his territory to be used for launching missiles and drones into Ukraine.”
In a recent podcast with Lex Fridman, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Lukashenko called him after Russia’s full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, to apologize for missiles launched from Belarus. “He said, ‘It wasn’t me, it was Putin who launched missiles from my territory,’” Zelensky recalled.
Lukashenko denied apologizing to Zelensky, with his press secretary stating there was “nothing to apologize for.” Lukashenko acknowledged that a call took place but attributed it to his son’s emotional reaction, contradicting Zelensky’s claim that Lukashenko had expressed regret and blamed Putin for launching missiles from Belarusian territory.
In response, Lukashenko accused Zelensky of trying to drag Belarus into the war and defended his authoritarian rule, claiming a dictatorship in Belarus was preferable to Ukraine’s democracy.
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